Politics with Michelle Grattan
News:Politics
The New AUKUS security agreement has bound Australia even more tightly to the United States and Britain. But it has brought blowback against all three countries from France – which was blindsided by the cancellation of its contract to supply submarines to Australia.
On another front, Australia is under intense pressure from its two "great and powerful friends", the US and the UK, to improve its ambition on climate change in the run up to the Glasgow conference.
In the wake of AUKUS and on the cusp of Glasgow, we talk to Britain's High Commissioner to Australia, Vicki Treadell, about security and climate.
Treadell says Britain is "deeply disappointed at the reaction from France" following the AUKUS announcement – which included the French cancelling defence talks with the United Kingdom.
"We would hope that they will see the bigger picture, that our partnership from a strategic defence and security point of view should not be diminished. The areas where we already work with them, and likewise America and Australia too. All those things remain for us to work together on."
"Obviously, they are disappointed, but I don't think they should regard it or interpret it as a loss of trust."
She says the French should bear in mind "there is a far more important strategic dynamic to safeguard, to ensure stability and peace in the region".
As for Britain's part in AUKUS, the "gravity has shifted to this region in terms of geopolitics, economics, and therefore we need to be part of this region engaged with it".
Looking to Glasgow, "We want to see high ambition from all the countries participating in COP 26. We see this as a really important economic agenda for the world, the economic transition that we need to make."
"I know that Prime Minister Morrison is working hard towards this, but we do understand the politics of Australia and all we can do as good friends and partners is to encourage and to say that we will be there to work with Australia to realise that level of ambition."
"Australia has a huge opportunity to become a global leader in [...] key clean industries of the future. Australia has an almost unparalleled opportunity to create jobs and growth domestically and also to produce the key inputs needed for economies around the world to decarbonise inputs like clean hydrogen, green materials like steel and aluminium."
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Barnaby Joyce on net zero 2050, a coal-fired power station – and how resources is (sort of) in cabinet
Word from the Hill: Julia Banks and international travel caps
Jacinta Price's parliamentary agenda
Word from The Hill: the return to lockdown
Sussan Ley and Terri Butler on the Great Barrier Reef being 'in danger'
Word from The Hill: Australia's new Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, climate policy and UNESCO
Acting PM Michael McCormack on net zero 2050 and prospects for a new coal-fired power station
Word from The Hill: the Biloela Tamil family, G7 and the upcoming parliamentary fortnight
Rex Patrick on Freedom of Information and Australia's submarines
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Mark Butler on the vaccine rollout and democracy in the Labor Party
Katy Gallagher on the battle to hold the government to account
Richard Colbeck on aged care and the Olympics
Simon Birmingham and Jim Chalmers on a big spending budget
what should the budget do for women? Jennifer Westacott (BCA) and Michele O'Neil (ACTU)
former ASIO head David Irvine on the cyber threats Australia faces
military ‘watch-dog’ Neil James on Afghanistan, China, and Peter Dutton
Matt Canavan on Holgate, Di Bartolomeo, and John Andersen
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